Offseason Trade Targets

[adkindo]

I suspect LA is dumping salary in order to sign Cole, Rendon, or another big splash.

As a result, Pederson would be relatively cheap to acquire.

(This may also be a reason to kick the tires on AJ Pollock. If you're into that kind of gamble.)

If the Dodgers add Rendon to that lineup.....well that would just be getting ridiculous. I read Turner has already agreed to move back to 2nd Base.

[mth123]

I’m interested to know examples of young players with two starting positions, one infield and one outfield, on a regular basis. Such as CF against RHP, second base against LHP. Simultaneous, not mid-season position switches. And for an extended period, not just filling in.

I doubt Reds would do it with Senzel, but still as an academic matter, I’d be interested to know this.

Again - two regular starting positions, one infield, one outfield - for an extended period of time, young player.

Try to avoid first base. But whatever, if anyone knows.

You may not count these, but here are a few examples of guys who ended up being pretty good.

Albert Pujols started 71 games in the OF, 52 at 3B and 31 at 1B as a 21 year old rookie. HE won the ROY award.
Cody Bellinger started 83 games at 1B and 43 in the OF as a rookie.
Chipper Jones started 121 games at 3B and 17 in the OF as a rookie.
Yogi Berra started 65 games at catcher and 47 in RF in his first mostly full season.
Craig Biggio started 101 games at catcher and 44 in the OF in his 2nd season at age 24.
Orlando Cepaeda 86 starts in LF and 61 at 1B at age 22.

[Kc61]

You may not count these, but here are a few examples of guys who ended up being pretty good.

Albert Pujols started 71 games in the OF, 52 at 3B and 31 at 1B as a 21 year old rookie. HE won the ROY award.
Cody Bellinger started 83 games at 1B and 43 in the OF as a rookie.
Chipper Jones started 121 games at 3B and 17 in the OF as a rookie.
Yogi Berra started 65 games at catcher and 47 in RF in his first mostly full season.
Craig Biggio started 101 games at catcher and 44 in the OF in his 2nd season at age 24.
Orlando Cepaeda 86 starts in LF and 61 at 1B at age 22.

I count them, sure, and thanks for digging them up. IMO asking Senzel to play 2B/CF is more difficult than most.

I think Biggio is impressive. Yogi, well, ok although he wasn’t much of an outfielder.

OF/first base just doesn’t impress me as having the same degree of difficulty as CF/2B.

But thanks for the examples.

[Redeyecat]

1. Ian Happ was widely regarded as a top 100 prospect and even made a few top 50 lists. It's not like he was chopped liver.

I agree with you about Happ actually being a very good prospect, but I have to wonder if splitting his time like the Cubs have was conducive to his hitting. No way to tell for sure, but to me Happ is an example of what not to do with Senzel.

I wrote the above, but before posting it I went back and looked at his stats since the last I remembered was that he was struggling in AAA. And now my main take-away is that this Happ discussion is actually much more on topic than I realized. I don't know the Cubs plans and I don't know if they want to trade with the Reds but Happ is actually a great trade target. He'll only be 25 next year and arbitration doesn't even start for him until 2021, free agency until 2024. He actually hit really well for the Cubs when they brought him back up with a 126 OPS+. I don't especially like the idea of shifting young guys all over the field especially between OF and MI, but I'm amenable to keeping the option open as insurance. Sign Didi, trade for Happ, keep Peraza. Put Happ in CF and Senzel at 2B or the other way around and let's see what they got. If one flops in CF, give the other a shot - we'd still have Galvis and/or Peraza to handle 2B.

[WrongVerb]

More random trade idea fun...

BOS gets:
IF Jose Peraza
LH Jacob Heatherly

CIN gets:
OF Jackie Bradley Jr.
IF Dustin Pedroia
1b Tristan Casas

The point of this trade for Boston would be to alleviate over $20M of salary this season plus their obligation to Pedroia for next year. That helps them stay under the cap and keeps them from having to trade Betts and/or JDM. They could put Benintendi in CF and move Chavis to LF with Peraza taking over at 2nd. Casas is their #1 prospect in a relatively weak system, and immediately becomes the heir apparent to Joey. Pedroia could be released immediately or kept on the 40 into spring training.

[Redsville]

Given the Free agent moves already starting up with Will Smith now Grandal...we should get busy trading for guys...that are controlled or maybe in arbitration and willing to sign an early contract (ie Suarez)


Some combo of prospects and 25 man in two trades for Merrilfield and Mancini would be where I'd start now.

Mancini (has significant time at 1b to go with RF, so could spare Votto some)

Both guys have 3 more years of control/contract

[SErebel11]

More random trade idea fun...

BOS gets:
IF Jose Peraza
LH Jacob Heatherly

CIN gets:
OF Jackie Bradley Jr.
IF Dustin Pedroia
1b Tristan Casas

The point of this trade for Boston would be to alleviate over $20M of salary this season plus their obligation to Pedroia for next year. That helps them stay under the cap and keeps them from having to trade Betts and/or JDM. They could put Benintendi in CF and move Chavis to LF with Peraza taking over at 2nd. Casas is their #1 prospect in a relatively weak system, and immediately becomes the heir apparent to Joey. Pedroia could be released immediately or kept on the 40 into spring training.

I would hope the Reds would use their financial flexibility to acquire players that can help for next season. This trade is silly to me. JBJ isn't a real bat. He is going to be overpaid for production to start with. That is taking on 37M dollars for 1 season of JBJ and getting a 1b prospect that ops 830 in A adv last season in return.

[WrongVerb]

Pedro Severino might provide an upgrade at C

[DocRed]

Omar Narvaes C being shopped by Mariners. Solid offensive catcher with 3 years of control.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/...z-catcher.html

[Alpha Zero]

Omar Narvaes C being shopped by Mariners. Solid offensive catcher with 3 years of control.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/...z-catcher.html

Narvaez and Haniger for Winker and Seattle’s choice of Santillan or India? Is that realistic or too light? Probably need at least a throw in or two on the Reds’ side ...

[Wonderful Monds]

Narvaez and Haniger for Winker and Seattle’s choice of Santillan or India? Is that realistic or too light? Probably need at least a throw in or two on the Reds’ side ...

Too light but it’s a good start. I’d give them Stephenson too, and they’d probably ask for him.

[Randymack]

Thank you.
Mancini AND Merrifield are perfect fits and realistic possibilities for the Reds.

[Mitri]

Could someone explain the love for acquiring White Merrifield?

Haniger/Narvaez would be interesting. Winker, Stephenson and Santillan? Sure, why not. Still doesn't solve CF/SS/2B but if you could upgrade just one of those and add a few bullpen pieces it'd be an interesting team.

[Randymack]

You do realize Whit Merrifield consistently produces Jesse Winker's "projected stats", plus he can play defense at LF, CF, and 2B, with a little speed, and under a team friendly contract? He's not the end all, but for a team friendly $4.144M per for 4yrs he's a nice consistent plug and play player in a lineup constantly in flux.

Unless this team can pull off the payroll to get a Xander Bogaerts while eating some of the horrible contracts Dombrowski left them with, SS will be manned by the Freddy Galvis, Jose Peraza, Luis Castillo types.
Unless the organization can figure out how to get a young solid SS via trade or develop one. Garcia seems be the next "he'll probably outgrow the position" prospect in the pipeline for the Reds devoid of ANY legitimate SS prospects.

FYI Mancini is a cheaper to acquire, but similar version of Haniger while also improved by the possibility of getting Mychal Givens for the bullpen to replace Iglesias in the pen when he's traded to the Red Sox in the Bogaerts/Evoldi deal...

[mth123]

Could someone explain the love for acquiring White Merrifield?

Haniger/Narvaez would be interesting. Winker, Stephenson and Santillan? Sure, why not. Still doesn't solve CF/SS/2B but if you could upgrade just one of those and add a few bullpen pieces it'd be an interesting team.

Merrifield is locked up for cheap through 2022 with a reasonable option for 2023. He'd fit in CF or at 2B and his last three seasons have seen him put up OPS+ numbers of 106, 120 and 112. On a team where all but a couple of guys are question marks or below average, he'd be a huge addition. I'm just not sure what it would take to get him. He gets on base and can run. He's BA driven and subject to BABIP but after three years in a row of actual success, I'm not worried about it. He's basically the guy everyone hoped Jose Peraza would become - with more power.

Aquino, Barnhart, Santillan, Peraza, Reed and India for Merrifield, Salvador Perez and Ian Kennedy. Sign Yasiel Puig and Drew Pomeranz as FA. Non-tender Gausman. That would transform the line-up from three known below average spots as it sits now - Peraza 2B, Galvis SS and Barnhart C - and two question marks - Aquino RF and Senzel CF, to one with only one known below average guy going in - Galvis - and one question mark - Senzel.

While there is no MVP type acquisition, that's a significant upgrade. It also upgrades the defense at 2B, CF, RF and C. Merrifield and Puig add more speed than the team has now. Since Merrifield is cheap and Puig should be affordable, there is room for some pricey help in the pen in the form of Kennedy and Pomeranz.


Merrifield CF
Votto 1B
Suarez 3B
Puig RF
Winker/Ervin LF
Perez C
Galvis SS
Pitcher
Senzel 2B

Casali, Farmer, Blandino, Jankowski, Ervin

Castillo
Gray
Bauer
Disco
Mahle

Iglesias
Pomeranz
Kennedy
Lorenzen
Garrett
Stephenson
Sims
Bowman and other AAA Shuttle guys with options - Kuhnel, Deleon, Antone, Hendrix, Shafer, Alaniz and Smith


The middle is still a little light, but it's average or above 1 through 6 with a lot of upside in another spot in Senzel. No one should be an on base black hole other than Galvis and the Pitcher. No Gold Gloves, except possibly Perez, but Averagish or above defense at C, 2B, SS, 3B, CF and RF. I'd feel better with another big bat in the middle, but the lack of depth in the line-up as it currently stands is the bigger concern and the primary reason this team looks like its sleepwalking through long stretches of games.